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Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: The Prison Planet

Posts: 4,485

Euro Festival Question

I had a buddy that is toying w/ the idea of going to hit up maybe a couple Euro festivals last year. I was wondering roughly how much $$$ are we talking? I know air fare will vary but I'm just wondering roughly how much should I try to put back approximately? Any info would be appreciated.

Are you going all 4 days or something? Otherwise that sounds a little high.

Well, as of this point Wednesday is definitely out, and Thursday is a maybe, but here's how it breaks down:

As of now, the trip is just two people (my sister and I). If our friend goes, it'll become cheaper, but as it stands now, I'm breaking it down two at a time.

Tickets (Just me):
$120 for Friday/Saturday, I think it'll be another $30-40 or so for Thursday.
So: $160

Hotel:
Best deal I found within walking distance of the venue is about $80 + $10 charges a night. We're gonna be staying at least 3 nights, 4 if we go for Thursday.
So: $90 x 4 / 2 = $180

Gas:
I did the numbers based on approximated gas prices, distance, and gas mileage on the car we're gonna be taking, and a good estimate will be that it's gonna cost about $200 round trip, maybe less.
So: about $100 for me.

Food:
If we're going for Thursday, we'll depart here Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning and returning at night on Sunday, so that will mean I have to pay for 5 full days' worth of food. Now, I plan to try to cut as many corners here as possible (ie free hotel breakfast, going shopping for non-perishable stuff before-hand) but I have to prepare for the worst. It's in the middle of the city, so cheap fast food probably won't be a readily available back-up plan - which means lots of shopping at convenience stores, Chinese, and Pizza. I gotta figure at least $20 a day, probably more honestly. So I'm gonna go with about $125 for my food budget.

So, to be fair, probably about $600 for the actual necessities to make the trip happen the way I want it to.

Now, keep in mind ProgPower has an essembly of vendors form a variety of labels and independent shops/importers, featuring tons of hard-to-get stuff that's right up my alley. And that's not to mention the fact that the bands will also have merchandise for sale. At the VERY least, I want to buy a Nocturnal Rites shirt, a Seventh Wonder shirt, and a ProgPower XI event shirt. So that's gonna cost me upwards of $100 right there. So that brings us to $700.

Now, the trip costs can only go down from my estimate, but I anticipate probably dropping at least another $100 on merchandise and stuff.

Went to wacken 2007. Airfare to Hamburg was about 800. We stayed one night in Hamburg, room was 60 euro, but you can do cheaper at a hostel. Took a 10euro (each way) shuttle to the festival. Three day pass was I think around 100 euro. Prices at the festival weren't bad, not the gouging we would get here. Camped at the festival, which was no additional charge. Dropped a ton of cash on shirts and other dumb shit at the festival. You are obviously paying to eat and drink for a few days, so we tried to do cheap things like hot dogs. Probably would have brought a couple cases of beer, as well as (still)water/Gatorade with us to the festival from Hburg to save a few bucks

From the states, I would say as close to $1000 as you can get. Inner European fests are very wallet friendly, Graspop, Wacken, Hellfest. Personally, Im becoming a Graspop regular, but from what iv heard, bar line up differences, the fests all operate and the same and have the same kinda game plan going on. Youd need €50 at least for food and drinks, thats without alcohol and merchandise, but you would be very safe otherwise. Alcohol, 150 (crates of beer and spirits are VERY cheap, but beer at the bars in the festival area isn't), Merchandise, 250 (20-30€ a t shirt, say you get an event shirt and two other band tour t shirts and some other novelty items). The tickets for the gigs are around 150€ (usually less), flights would be guts of 6-700, so yeah, you are looking at close to a grand.

If I ever decide to go to a Euro Festival, I'm thinking Sweden Rock. In any given year they have their fair helping of bands I really love, but unlike many other bands, they don't pile on the bands I hate. Even the bands I don't like are usually just classic rock bands or whatever.